Mor Mahal ~ Episode 1 Review

First episodes of much hyped and much anticipated serials are always dicey; the sun, the moon and the stars – all are expected to deliver, and simultaneously at that.Expectations from the opening chapter of Mor Mahal were no different.

I wanted to really really like it. I wanted to believe we were going to get the hatke project we were being promised by the makers. The five hundred or so teasers that followed all seemed to hold true to what we were being told, but we’d been down that path before. Disappointment had taught us good. In an industry where TRPs are the be all and end all where is the room left for creativity, aesthetics, experimentation, innovation? And yahan tau we were talking about Mor Mahal which was being touted as one of the most expensive serials ever to grace the Pakistani TV screens… well, let’s just say the assurances read like an oxymoron.

Trepidations in mind I sat down to watch with high expectations.

Conceptualized by Imran Aslam, written by Sarmad Sehbai, directed by Sarmad Khoosat and presented by Babar Javed, Mor Mahal is the story of Nawab Asif Jahan and the socio-political intrigues that swirl around him. Be it in the outer world of his realm or the inner world of his harem, the Nawab is the fount of all power, and it is the desire for attaining and controlling the power vested in his person that drives the drama in the jahan of Jahanabad.

Beginning with vast, open landscapes and zooming in to settle in the intimate confines of Mor Mahal, the first episode did well to establish central characters and their characteristics – and what a fascinating, fun bunch of people these guys are!

Asif Jahan, the ruler of Jahanabad is so at ease with power it takes almost no thought to signal the end of a human life, a casual flick of his hand and the deed is done. Once he returns home, however, it is a different story. No longer the omnipotent Nawab, Asif is then merely the son of Badshah Begum. He is now
controlled by her, right down to her choosing which of his three wives ought to be his consort of the moment.

For her part Begum Sarwat Jahan, aka Badshah Begum, is the ultimate authority in Mor Mahal. Her son might be feared in the outside world, but on the inside, everybody knows the real ruler of Jahanabad. As political as she is regal, Badshah Begum can run rings around the best of them. She maintains her hold through exercising emotional control over her son and keeping herself aware and abreast of all happenings in Mor Mahal. Her loyal maids and the wonderfully quirky Akhtari act as her eyes and ears in this endeavor and ensure that her commands are carried out to the letter.

Badshah Begum’s absolute hold over her son – not just his head and heart but also his power – is but naturally resented by Asif Jahan’s two older wives, Suraiya Jahan and Wazir Begum. Suraiya, a maid before she married Asif Jahan, is comparatively passive, fearing for her unborn child’s fate were her husband to stop paying attention. Wazir Begum, on the other hand, is way more complicated.

Unvarnished, unabashed ambition is Farrukh Zaad’s calling card. This Begum is no shrinking violet and is not one to waste time moaning and groaning about her fate. Deeds rather than words are more style and what better way to regain her easily waylaid husband’s attention than to ingest some handily available poison. She’s dealt with having to share her husband with a once lowly maid and now she’s damned if she is going to stand by and watch him be beguiled by the charms of Meher Bano, the newest entry in Asif Jahan’s harem.

Brought into Mor Mahal as a result of a political alliance between her brother and Asif Jahan, Meher has zip zilch interest in the Nawab. She chooses, instead, to elope and be with her beloved, leaving behind her maid Banki, who is then mistaken by Asif Jahan as his newest wife.

Banki is but one more of the interesting characters we met in the first episode. Akhtari, Shaista, Shola Jan, all have their own stories to tell. Akhtari and Badshah Begum have an unsaid equation, as do Shaista and Wazir Begum. These characters may be standing on the margins but their deeds inform and influence all that goes on at the very heart of the vortex called Mor Mahal.

For one episode, and that too an introductory one, there was a lot that happened and did so seamlessly at a deceptively languorous pace. Sarmad Sehbai’s screenplay flows beautifully, and the poetic use of language is an absolute delight. There were many words and phrases that I had previously only read, never heard spoken out loud, and so this was a special personal treat. Thank you Sarmad sahab for introducing a whole new generation to the richness and musicality of the Urdu language.

Ornate language and an intriguing cast of characters set the appropriate tone for this once upon a time historical fantasy, and this motif is meticulously replicated and repeated throughout, be it in the sumptuousness of the custom designed costumes or the exquisite jewellery specially crafted for the serial, all go a long way in establishing an appropriate setting for events waiting to unfold.

Interior sets aspire to add to the overall ambiance of magnificence and grandeur but fail to do so, coming off instead as tacky and cheap imitations. To give the producers the benefit of the doubt, perhaps it was the mediocre quality video I watched online that was at fault (those who watched live on TV seem suitably impressed with the grandeur) but then doesn’t it behove the channels to put out HD quality prints that do justice to the effort that has gone into a project of this scale? Would greatly appreciate it if the appropriate people could look into this ASAP – thanks!

None of this would matter, of course, if the ensemble cast had failed to deliver. Thankfully, however, this was not the case. Beautifully led by the born-to-play-the-queen Hina Bayat, the main cast looked and acted the part. Hina nails it as someone who can’t be bothered to explain herself. A look here, a shrug there, every gesture speak volumes.

Umair Jaswal and Meesha Shafi are inspired casting. Umair’s physicality adds gravitas to his portrayal as a warrior and his soulful eyes attest to the softness which is a big part of who Asif Jahan is as a person, add to that his facility with the poetic lingo and it is easy to see why Asif Jahan would be considered a catch in some quarters, his fickle affections notwithstanding.

Meesha too is a perfect fit as Wazir Begum; her delicate features offset by the steely determination in her eyes and the sense of purpose reflected in her stride – she is not a girl one messes around with. Unlike Umair’s ease with the difficult lines though, Meesha’s dialogue delivery came off as a bit stilted. While we did not see this pair together, I thought Wazir Begum shared a very interesting chemistry with her kaneez, Shaista. “Halal erotica” this might be, but I don’t think we will get any further exploration of this track, something which would’ve really pushed the envelope.

It is good to see Jana Malik play a more substantial role and I am looking forward to seeing how her track evolves. Sania Saeed is in a very different avatar here and her Akhtari has quite a way about her. Adding their particular hue to the colorful tapestry that is Mor Mahal, Ali Saleem made an impression as Shola Jan and I enjoyed Suhaee Abro’s dance, but would’ve preferred it a bit shorter.

To handle an ensemble cast as big as this one, to make accessible a story in a language all its own, to not let glamour and opulence come in the way of storytelling, to resist the temptation to over tell the story, allowing the unsaid the space to be heard, and to do all this so well, all at the same time, is no mean task and for this director Sarmad Khoosat and his directorial and technical teams deserves a huge round of applause. The first episode was Sarmad’s show all the way.

So, to circle back to where I had started, forty minutes later I walked away a happy camper. A few peeves notwithstanding, the first episode of Mor Mahal had delivered, now only 40+ more to go. Here’s to hoping and praying this one stays the course!

HI SZ, thanks for a great review. Agreed on all accounts. Was a bit confused here and there but slowly got the hang of all the dynamics. Intriguing is what first came to mind after watching ep 1.
Aur I must tell you what my kids reaction was (ages 15 and 11). They’d been seeing the promos (coz Mom here waches a lot of tv) and everytime they would see the promo with Sania Saeed they’d say “There’s no way we r watching this! Yeh aap ne nahin lagana”. They’d been informed that this was by Sarmad Khoosat toh isliye they knew that Mama’s not gonna miss this.
Anyway, so the ep begins and half way into it, they r both totally into it- not once did they ask me to change the channel 🙂 No squels of “Not this”! I for one, was really relieved, and happy coz my girls were getting to hear this beautiful Urdu. Kuch toh seep through karega.

Hey Afia! So glad to hear you enjoyed this one as well 🙂 I was actually thinking about the huge cast of characters and their web of relationships when they were releasing all those teasers and wondered how difficult it would be to keep everybody straight.. but thankfully they made it all very painless..

Aww! your girls are such cuties and they must love your fangirling moments .. glad they enjoyed it too 🙂 What did they think of Sania by the end? I thought she was an absolute riot and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself!

Sania’s scene, I think they were just taking it all in…not one moan or groan… ab aagay dekho.
You’ll kill me for this (excuse my fangirling!) but I saw Bajirao Mastani, sitting a seat away from Umair Jaswal in Islamabad. Ironic coz this MorMahal was reminding me of BM 🙂

To me SZ the 1st episode was a pot pourri of a ruler, a domineering mother, many wives, a new ‘arranged’ wife with with a faithful kaneez, poetic “Halal Erotica”, a touch of poison, fascinating Urdu and a very appropriate decor and ambience. Sincerely hope that the ‘fragrance’ lasts the course!

Thanks for the review SZ.
So its finally started after what seemed liked months and months of hype and ‘coming soon’ The hype was so OT and the promos were so glossy that like you SZ I was and am ready to be disappointed. In defence of my cynicism our TV channels churn out so much glossy over hyped rubbish why should I believe this would be different.

Okay I have confession, its silly I know but I never pay proper attention to promos but for a long time I got Mor Mahal mixed up with the up coming film Mah-e-Mir. It was only last week I realised that one was film and one was a drama and the two names were actually different.

I have not seen the first episode and despite your positive review the only attractive thing about this drama so far seems to be Hina Bayat as Badshah Begum.

@NKHan: I hear you about fearing disappointment but then where;s the fun if you play it safe — give it a shot and then decide – I have my/VZ’s raincoat handy so bring on the anday tamatar 🙂

It is definitely a different kettle of fish but when you have cerebrals like Sarmad sb, Sarmad Kh, Sania and Hina B involved then kuch na kuch tau accha aur alag nikalna hi hai … baqi tau of course its still the first ep and this genre is not everybody’s cup of tea 🙂

SZ, thank you for the detailed review, you’ve covered so much in your review, I wondered how many times you watched it!

I had recorded this and got the time to watch it only today. I enjoyed it, in these times of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and stuff like Game of Thrones, it’s time we had our own fantasy tale.

I thought they’ve blended different cultural elements (from Meesha’s Chinese/Mongoloid head dress to Arabian influences in the clothes, decor) quite well. The jewellery in particular was amazing. It’s quite clever to base it in a fictional place and time, that gives them more freedom.

@VZ: Haha! 3 times! And no not because I was so so in love but because the quality of the print really frustrated me. I dont know where you watched, but the DOL print really bugged me. The promos had been in such high quality that it was really a travesty to watch the shoddy 360/480p print. Every time I tried to go HD it would stop and splutter, At first I thought it was just me but then another friend also complained of the same .. everybody who’d watched on tv seemed to not be complaining about the sets etc .. so I re-watched to see if I was being obsessive but no it did actually bother me… and Im glad it bothered @FA also . so I dont feel as alone.

But yes, apart from all that really enjoyed this. I know a lot of people were comparing it to GoT and Mera Sultan but all that seemed immaterial once the ep started .. as you’e rightly pointed out they have succeeded in creating a unique ambiance where the different influences blend in so very smoothly without one element sticking out over another.

I have actually a lot of things I would like us to discuss and think about, but will hold on those thoughts till we get going properly with the story. So so glad to have you on board for this one – looking fwd to many many discussions!!

The characters are absolutely fascinating and a i loved the pace! When I had heard about almost 50 or so eps somewhere I feared the trending rubberband-effect.. but so far soooooo good! 🙂 Language is an absolute delight!

HB was fab like always.. but it was Meesha and Umair who really surprised me. They had such a great, larger than life presence about them! I also enjoyed Banki , and although I didn’t think much of her at first I thought Meher Bano’s dialogue delivery was very authentic. Also interesting were Janan Malik and Begum Nawazish Ali.. and of course Sania Saeed and her crazy avatar!! – Zahid’s get up I’m not so sure abt atm..

The first ep reminded me of Mera Sultan (yes I’m guilty of watching some of of that too lol) , more so than Game of Thrones – what with the harem and the dominating mother, I guess it’s probably more to do with the cultural similarities..

Loved the costume and jewelry but it was the set that was real let-down for me… the throne and screens reminded me of cheap mdf cut-outs from Ainak wala jinn era.. and then today when I was catching up on main Sitara, I realized all the film sets from 70s and 80s had those tacky cardboard cut outs and those cheap curtains.. Meeshas table with red acrylic top, the desk with glued on bits and that mirror were so out of place! Although the lighting toned down some of the tackiness, it was still very much in your face..

Re Bajirao Mastani : I was thinking of BM too, but it was the location that got me thinking.. I wish they had used an authentic location instead of going down trying-to-create-an-entire-set route..

And last but not the least pleeeease can someone upload a good hd print!!!! – ptv and geo both airing it and its such a shame that not a single decent copy is available online – like @SZ said that might help me get over the set…

oh one more thing : wasn’t the nawab returning from some sort of mega campaign? @SZ Although your explanation of the scene makes alot of sense, I felt the hanging scene might’ve been a way-out of shooting a more elaborate/costly scene..? It felt more like a very private affair… btw did u notice an ant crawling under the guy’s feet in the hanging scene? I though that was very clever!

oh and one more thing – although you mentioned Asif Jahan/ umair as a warrior, didnt that first scene tell a very different story..?

@FA: Yay!! So glad you’re on board too .. chalo we’ll have some solid discussions to look forward to now 😀

Re: that opening scene, I do think it was meant to establish the difference between his power inside and outside, but lets see .. I know that there other scenes of fighting etc and they trained with horses etc so I dont think so .. but then again, I could be wrong .. lets wait and see.

See, @VZ, even after watching 3 time I forgot to mention the DoP – Khizer … he is so so good! And yes, @FA thanks for bringing up that shot it was lovely ,,, actually this is what I love when we have an intelligent ppl behind dramas .. then everything is so so much more fun to watch and analyze, because you know they too thought of everything … it didnt just happen by fluke … And back to Khizer, for those who are interested in such things, he was DoP for SeZ, Rehaii, Manto, and Ashk and now the new Shaam Dhalay that started the same day as this one … also on Geo, directed by Nadia Afgan ..

OK I didnt know about the battle scenes and horses etc..
Re the first scene telling a different story : I was hinting towards Asif’s character – him sitting/hiding in the (comfort of is) carriage, drinking away .. more of an ayyash than a warrior.. He seems to have all the comfort and power under his feet, but bravery doesn’t seem to be his best virtue.. And he’s quite a different person pas-e-pardah..

@FA: I think he is meant to be a warrior, as in the Bajirao type ..Think abt it .. Bajirao can defend an entire empire but he cant ensure the safety of his own beloved in his own house where the mother rules the roost, no? Also I saw his casually sitting there more like another day at the office .. you caught somebody, found him guilty and sentenced him to death without dirtying your own hands, probably done this millions of times already and seen the men in his family do this before him .. my analogy would be modern day corporate raiders who cause so much damage to so many without lifting an eyebrow – its just work for them .. and then yes he is a diff personality at home which is the interesting contrast, for me atleast, b/c if his subjects were to see him that way they wouldn’t be so terrorized. Khair, lets keep these convos going as the episodes keep unfolding.

I was smiling when reading your drinking=ayash comment .. Isnt that a very modern reading? It was so done in those days…. whenever, wherever they were ofcourse 😉

@SZ Re ayyash / modern reading : idk.. although we have established that story isn’t confined to any particular time era or location, but don’t we see / read and blame the downfall of the mughals and other (muslim) empires (including the moors in Europe) on this kinda general behaviour.. Negligence of the establishments was nearly always blamed on drinking, womanizing, and general indulgence so on and so forth throughout history.. And it depends on what we call modern but it was established in and around their respective times…we find the evidence in historical texts… Sir Syed being one of the key figures I can recall who voiced it soon after the downfall of the mughals/war of independence..
I believe in our society and culture drinking/alcohol is taken as a sign of indulgence – and I think that’s what it signifies in this sequence.. I don’t think our audience is ready to accept it any other way…(Atleast we didnt get the disclaimer that was this was red grape juice lol)
Thats a general trend in all our dramas/ media.. Remember Numm, Mein Sitara and Farhad’s issues…

I think i really need to get some sleep now.. not sure if im making any sense at all lol

@FA: Oh no, I wasn’t saying he wasn’t indulging himself .. I was more talking abt the term “ayash” that you’d used where that word has a very heavy duty moral weight on it today … yes, there were indulgences in those days as well and kingdoms were lost and won on account of a variety of weaknesses (human and otherwise) and this scene was also probably meant to convey his general attitude and casual nature but I am not yet willing to dismiss him as a wastrel aka ayash based on that one scene, I would need to go further and then form a judgement … which is not to say he won’t turn out to be just that, he might well be, but I need to see a bit more.

And yes in today’s visual culture drinking/or alcohol is meant to convey a certain message, but whats interesting is that images of drinking by itself did not always have such connotations, even in Pakistan .. in times just as recent as 1950s I have seen pictures in Dawn and other newspapers showing State dinners in Pakistan hosted by Liaquat Ali Khan and other official dignitaries with wine in their hands and at their dinner tables .. just sitting there very matter of factly … and so this imagery of drinking=ayashi =immediate connection is pretty recent. This is not to imply by any means that I am condoning one way as right or condemning the other as wrong just noting how our perceptions change over time depending on the socio-political context of the culture at large.

But yes, bottom line, you are right that we are now trained to read it as such .. and LOL Numm .. kiya yaad dila diya?!

More relevant to the drama, my hope is that with a writer like Sarmad S and a director like Sarmad Kh we will be able to go beyond black and white reading of characters and meet more complex and layered personalities.. much like our beloved Kuku.. I dont think Bee Gul thinks of her as much as we do!! Makes me almost wanna go back and revisit those convos .. wonder what we’d make of the story and its characters today …

@SZ of course! We can’t make judgement on that one scene and with SK and SS working together on this project I am hoping there will be a lot more to these characters than plain black or white!

Re the culture change in Pakistan : As far as I hear and have read I understand this change was brought about in Zia era. Bhutto used to drink in his jalsas and boast about it…. My dad recalls that there were public houses and ‘cafes’ in heart of Sadar so it was all very public! He tells us that in offices people would mock colleagues who were caught praying and they would have to hide / sneak out for that.. So yes society was very different back then.. and yes it is very interesting to study this change in perceptions over time..

@All: A quick thought, I love how reviews and comments on various fora are going along with the given description of a fantasy, but invariably end up trying to locate this in a specific time and place .. I wonder why do we find it so hard to leave a fantasy be a fantasy? Would you all say its because this genre, in drama form, is really new to our tv screens? We’ve had ainak wala jinn, but that was so very out there that there was no way it was going to be anything but a fantasy, but this one here is located in a relatively familiar era/place … and if seen that way then this really is an innovation for our screens.. because its close enough to reality but not so … and this then raises the question of difference between fiction and fantasy.. how would be distinguish b/w the two? Why not call this a fiction rather than a fantasy?

@SZ interesting!
OK I think as far as the first ep goes it felt more fictional… but set in an era/setting that we can only fantasize about..
but I also think / mumkin hai it will be Sania Saeed’s character with her sorcery / mythical edge that will bring in / solidify the touch of fantasy in the narrative.
For me fantasy is fiction which involves a mystical base. Unless we get a dose of that I wouldn’t really classify such a narrative as fantasy.
but then again, from what I hear, some of the inspiration came from Arabian nights and Alif Laila – ultimate fantasies! Just recreating that setting would transport us to that magical land – with or without real magic..

Oh my God! SZ, this time you have made me run out my breath, from Mein Sitra to Udari & now Mor Mahal all in a row which to follow n which one to ignore….
Thanks for the precise riview, I watched it after reading ur take on this serial though it has all the elements that attract you like magnets but u know I always wait for ur review. At first glance it seems like Alif Lalia, Arabian stories Ottoman Empires or Muhgal e Azam Mera Sultan style but once on board things though complicated started making sense…
Hina Bayat carries her stamp with her and stamps on sences” this is me” her gestures pointing fingers her tone of voice speaks volumes… Sarmad Khoosat & his team deserves full pat on the back, not an easy task to handle such veteran n totally new actors in a way that all blend so well👏 I remember seeing Sania Saeed in another play where she is had some what similar جادو منتر role I can’t recall that drama. As FA mentioned about the cheaply screens, furniture, the whole courtyard looked so tacy where Abroo was dancing…. No glizts n glamour just plain old “kootha” type but not a shahi” ishrat kadha”…. They need to work on it jewelry & dresses were great…. Aur keys Nastaliq Urdu boli gai hey, subhanallah, thanks to Sarmad Sehbai Sahab for such poetic language ….
All in all great opening and I have a feeling that this serial will provide a great healthy & geniune discussion from different prospectives….

@Shamim Hasan: Hello ji! Hope you’re feeling better and are back to your normal routine.
Yay!! I’m so glad most of us will be on this thread as well .. always makes a serial so much more fun when there is a bunch of us together ..even if some may not agree.. its all good, as it adds more to the discussion,

I dont remember the particular Sania S drama you are referring to, but I do know of a telefilm, I think, where she had delusions or something and she heard voices etc.. something to do with a rishta etc .. dont know if you are referring to that one .. but in any case yes, she’s a huge reason to watch . she and Sarmad are always so good together.

Yes, that dancing set was bad . I dont know what went wrong where but it did look tacky. Hopefully the content will be so strong in the coming weeks that the sets will stop sticking out like a sore thumb. And yes!! Te language was really the highlight ..and because it is a period drama the flowery language goes so beautifully with the ambiance instead of looking like a gimmick as I sometimes find in certain other writers’ scripts. Ab lets hope and pray that we can keep with this to the end.

Will wait to hear from you on the Mein Sitara thread .. and thank you for being such great company and watching so many dramas with us 🙂

Greetings SZ and all! Alas, I had trouble getting excited about this one. I did not find the plot innovative (several wives/dominant mother). I wasn’t thrilled with the costumes (heavy jari, Oscar de la renta-like trains, East Asian-like head-dress). But I usually watch a few episodes before I give up. So I am on board for now only because of SS!

Very interested in Udaari (anyone else watching?). I was so excited to have RS and Bushra Ansari under the same roof; I thought they would literally bring the roof down. SPOILER ALERT: BA was RADIANT (and in a perfect role I thought) until this episode…haay haay!

@JR/Hey! Koi baat nahin, hota hai 🙂 But do keep dropping by and sharing your thoughts .. always fun to hear a different opinion and see why it isn’t working for you…

Re: Udaari: yes, keeping track of it … just cant keep up with writing .. will try to get something out after this ep … Idk Bushra A was a bit OTT for me in the first two eps … haven’t yet seen the third so will catch up with 3 & 4 together … we can then discuss it in detail once the thread is started.

@SZ thank you so much for part 2 and mentioning the exact time too, will be easier to watch now :).. I started watching part 1 and my goodness this man never stops talking.. Question tak aate aate ek tou he praise overly upar se ufff itni repetition.. I am like bus bhai we got your question.. Stop and let them answer.. U said it perfectly uber annoying…

I am sure ab tak i would have sounded like broken record in praising your reviews specially the introductory episode reviews..which are so hard to write.. But as always you ace it by explaining things which ppl like me miss it so easily and also how you interpret characters and the sub text going on..so thank you always

Coming to episode.. At first it took sometime for me to gasp everything and characters..but then I was really into it and enjoyed the chess kinda game lol… No surprises with HB and SS portrayal but UJ was really good.. Specially in last scene he showed all what was required.. MS bhi i quite liked.. Though filhal tou in this episode bechari just dressed up hie hoti rahi so i am looking forward to her take on Farukhzaad…

Who is playing Banki? I was confused rather i am still in diffrentiating Mehrbano and Banki.. They both looked similar and will be quite interesting to see how things unfold actually every track has so much to offer.. Like in case of Akhtari and Badshah Begum.. They gave shivers just by their presence.. So even its 40+ episodes I have this feeling that this will stay 🙂

Hello ji welcome back 🙂
No, Im watching and thoroughly enjoying Mor Mahal. Just havent had the time to write .. not just this but anything at all .. IA, will get back to writing over the weekend. Looking forward to hearing from you on the thread.